Meteorologists,
emergency managers, scientists and members of the private sector are
meeting at “Challenges in Urban Meteorology: A Forum for Users
and Providers” at the Doubletree Hotel in Rockville, Md., to
discuss strategies to meet emerging problems and the unique challenges
in ensuring the safety and health of people living in densely populated
areas. The forum, which began today, is organized and directed by
the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology.

“With
nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population living in urban areas, there
is a rapidly growing need to understand and predict meteorological
conditions in these areas,” said Dr. James
Mahoney, assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere
and deputy NOAA administrator. “Special concerns in urban areas
include severe weather, air quality, dispersion characteristics, climate
and urban runoff, most of which impose new demands on forecast models.
Several of NOAA’s research laboratories are already engaged
in experimental program partnerships focusing on urban areas.”

Damages
averaging more than $11 billion occur from hurricanes, tornadoes,
floods and other severe weather each year. America’s vulnerability
to severe weather, homeland security incidents and risks from air
and water quality and climatic variations are rising as more of the
population moves into areas prone to these hazardsEmergency response
plans require real-time decisions about evacuations affecting thousands
of households in a single incident.

“Urban
meteorology holds a huge potential value for a variety of stakeholders
from urban decision makers and residents to business and transportation
sector planners,” said Samuel P. Williamson, federal coordinator
for meteorological services and supporting research. “Through
this forum, we hope to initiate and encourage a continuing dialog
among all interested parties to share strategies and objectives, and
build solutions to common problems that face densely populated urban
areas.”

The
forum focuses on the five integral parts of urban meteorology: severe
weather, homeland security, air quality, water quality and climate,
where panelists discuss current strengths and identify potential areas
for improvement.

A
number of factors have made urban meteorology a pertinent issue, and
have supported its emergence as an integrated science based on the
various underlying disciplines. Technological advances in remote sensing
and other observing platforms have made urban observations on the
sub-regional scale possibleMore extensive observations improve modeling
of atmospheric, soil, ocean and biosphere conditions. Improvements
in the models lead to greater applicability to assess and predict
the state of urban environments.

Recent national and international events have heightened attention
to potential acts of terrorism, particularly in urban centers with
large populations. Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear
releases, whether intentional or accidental, threaten public health
and safety. Atmospheric transport and diffusion models for predicting
behavior of these harmful dispersions depend upon inputs from urban
environmental observations.

Health
problems associated with extremes in urban weather and climate can
threaten human health and strain response servicesIn addition to acute
events, there are other urban conditions that have long-term cumulative
effects on health, such as air and water pollution.

As
a result of improvements in the ability to observe, monitor and forecast
urban meteorology, public officials have a wealth of specialized data
to draw from that will help to save lives, improve living conditions
and support the local economy.

Speakers
and attendees at the forum represent a number of federal, state and
local agencies, as well as broadcast media, universities, the American
Meteorological Society and Meteorological Services of CanadaThe forum
will continue until Thursday.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety
through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related
events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s
coastal and marine resourcesTo learn more about NOAA, please visit:
http://www.noaa.gov.